State Act

The Maharashtra Stamp Act

31. Adjudication as to proper stamps.— 1[(1) When an instrument, whether executed or not and whether previously stamped or not, is brought to the Collector, 2[by one of the parties to the instrument and such person] applies to have the opinion of that officer as to the duty (if any) with which 3[or the Article of Schedule I under which] it is chargeable and pays 4[a fee of one thousand rupees] in case not involving stamp duty on ad valorem basis, and one rupee for every Rs. 1,000 or part thereof, subject to a minimum of five rupees and maximum of twenty-five rupees in cases involving stamp duty on ad valorem basis, the Collector shall determine the duty (if any) with which, 5[or the Article of Schedule I under which] in his judgement, the instrument is chargeable.]: 6[Provided that, after commencement of the Maharashtra Stamp (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Mah. XX of 2025), in respect of executed instruments, no application shall be accepted for adjudication, unless the person has deposited with the Collector,— (i) where the stamp duty is chargeable on the market value of the property, which is the subject matter of such instrument, the amount of difference between the stamp duty chargeable as per the value of consideration stated in the instrument or the market value of such property according to the person, whichever is higher and the stamp duty already paid on the instruments ; and (ii) in other cases, the amount of difference between the stamp duty chargeable according to the person and the stamp duty already paid on the instruments: Provided further that, the Collector shall adjust such deposited amount against the stamp duty finally determined and refund the excess amount deposited, if any, to the person depositing it within a period of forty-five days, without any interest.] (2) For this purpose the Collector may require to be furnished with 7[a true copy or] an abstract of the instrument, and also with such affidavit or other evidence as he may deem necessary to prove that all the facts and circumstances affecting the chargeability of the instrument with duty, or the amount of the duty with which it is chargeable, are fully and truly set forth therein, and may refuse to proceed upon such application until 8[such true copy or abstract] and evidence have been furnished accordingly: Provided that— (a) no evidence furnished in pursuance of this section shall be used against any person in any civil proceeding, except in an inquiry as to the duty with which the instrument to which it relates is chargeable; and (b) every person by whom any such evidence is furnished shall, on payment of the full duty with which the instrument to which it relates is chargeable, be relived from any penalty which he may have incurred under this Act by reason of the omission to state truly in such instrument any of the facts or circumstances aforesaid. 1[(3) Where the Collector acting under sub-sections (1) and (2) is not the Collector of the District and if he has reason to believe that the market value of the property, which is the subject matter of the instrument, received by him for adjudication, has not been truly set forth therein, 2[he shall, for the purpose of assessing the stamp duty, determine the true market value of such property, as laid down in the Bombay Stamp (Determination of True Market Value of Property) Rules, 1995]]. 3[(4) When an instrument is brought to the Collector for adjudication,— (i) within one month of execution or first execution of such instrument in the State; or (ii) if, such instrument is executed or first executed, out of the State, within three months from the date of first receipt of such instrument in this State, the person liable to pay the stamp duty under section 30 shall pay the same within sixty days from the date of service of the notice of demand in respect of the stamp duty adjudicated by the Collector. If such person fails to pay the stamp duty so demanded within the said period, he shall be liable to pay a penalty at the rate of two per cent., of the deficient portion of the stamp duty, for every month or part thereof, from the date of execution of such instrument, or as the case may be, date of the first receipt of such instrument in the State]: 4[Provided that, in no case, the amount of the penalty shall exceed 5[four times] the deficient portion of the stamp duty.]